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DAILY ALERT
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Thursday, August 21, 2025 | ||
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In-Depth Issues:
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met in Paris on Tuesday for U.S.-mediated talks in an attempt to reset decades of hostility between the two countries. The discussions focused on de-escalation following deadly clashes last month between Syrian government forces and the Druze minority in the southern province of Sweida that left more than 1,600 people dead. Israel and Syria have technically been at war since 1948. (New York Times) The Israeli military said on Wednesday that it is moving ahead with its preparations to invade Gaza City. Troops will conduct a "gradual, precise and targeted" operation in and around the city, extending into parts of the city that Israeli soldiers have not previously attacked or held during the war, an Israeli military official said. Israel's plan has forced hundreds of thousands of residents to consider uprooting themselves to the central and southern parts of the territory. (New York Times) Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the State Department was imposing sanctions on four more International Criminal Court officials involved in work "to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of either nation." The officials are Kimberly Prost of Canada, Nicolas Guillou of France, Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal. The U.S. has already sanctioned ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan and four ICC judges. Prost, an ICC judge, "is being designated for ruling to authorize the ICC's investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan." Guillou, another judge, "is being designated for ruling to authorize the ICC's issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant." "Deputy Prosecutors Shameem Khan and Niang are being designated for continuing to support illegitimate ICC actions against Israel." (CNN) See also Imposing Further Sanctions in Response to the ICC's Ongoing Threat to Americans and Israelis - Secretary of State Marco Rubio "The United States has been clear and steadfast in our opposition to the ICC's politicization, abuse of power, disregard for our national sovereignty, and illegitimate judicial overreach. The Court is a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel." "It remains the policy of the United States Government to take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our troops, our sovereignty, and our allies from the ICC's illegitimate and baseless actions. I urge countries that still support the ICC, many of whose freedom was purchased at the price of great American sacrifices, to resist the claims of this bankrupt institution." (U.S. State Department) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is reviewing federal security grants for Muslim groups with "alleged terrorist ties." According to a DHS document, 49 projects "with alleged affiliations to terrorist activities" have already been canceled, a move that will save $8 million. "We don't want to be empowering groups that could be causing a threat to our community here in the United States," a DHS official said. The probe follows a report by the Middle East Forum, which claimed that more than $25 million in DHS and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants went to "terror-linked groups" between 2013 and 2023. The report flagged a $100,000 grant in 2019 to the Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Virginia, which Customs and Border Protection once described as a "mosque operating as a front for Hamas operatives in the U.S." The report further cited $250,000 awarded to the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), which DHS has accused of having "Hamas ties." Another $750,000 went to mosques in Michigan and Texas that DHS described as "outposts for Iran's revolutionary brand of Shi'a Islamism." (Fox News) Australia's Home Affairs Department took comments made by an Israeli politician in a media interview out of context and used them as a basis to ban him from Australia for three years. Officials claim Israeli Knesset member Simcha Rothman argued that Palestinian children were the enemy, when he was actually mounting the case for the UK to accept more Palestinian refugees from Gaza, so they could escape Hamas and the warzone. The Government claimed that "When the interviewer asked why doesn't Israel let the children leave Gaza, the visa holder replied, 'They are our enemies.'" But a review of the media interview with Channel 4 in the UK in May shows that this is not what Rothman said. (Sky News-Australia) Elbit CEO Bezhalel Machlis said his company is working to turn the Iron Beam ground-based counter-drone laser system into an airborne application. "We are developing an airborne high-power solution for the Israeli Air Force and there is a lot of interest for this solution from other customers." (Aviation Week) News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
At least 18 Hamas gunmen emerged from a tunnel shaft and attacked an IDF post in Khan Yunis on Wednesday morning with machine guns and RPGs. The IDF said 10 attackers were killed, the rest escaped, and three soldiers were wounded. (Ha'aretz) IDF Spokesman Brig.-Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed Wednesday that soldiers had begun operations to seize Gaza City. "Our forces already control the outskirts of the city," he said. (Jerusalem Post) See also Israel Once Again Targets Gaza City - Seth J. Frantzman Why is the capital of Gaza still in the hands of Hamas? At the beginning of the war, the IDF cut off Gaza City from central Gaza in the first days of the ground offensive in October 2023. Then it spent a month pushing into neighborhoods and suburbs of Gaza City but never taking the city itself and holding it. It appears that the Hamas units there were not destroyed. Hamas mostly retreats and hides in areas where the IDF operates. The IDF has always asked people to leave before it enters an area. This gives Hamas time to leave as well. (Jerusalem Post) Since the end of the last ceasefire in Gaza in March, the Israel Defense Forces has eliminated over 2,100 terrorists there, including many senior Hamas commanders, the military said Wednesday. Over 10,000 terror targets have been struck by Israeli Air Force fighter jets, helicopters and drones as well as Navy vessels since March 18. The IDF said it currently has "operational control" over 75% of Gaza. (Times of Israel) Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
The Gaza War A senior Israeli source said Wednesday: "President Trump is setting the pace and demanding a complete [Gaza] deal. He has developed an aversion to partial arrangements." The U.S. wants to see a comprehensive agreement that would end the war and secure the return of all hostages. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff has reportedly expressed skepticism about Hamas's proposal for an interim deal. Officials say Netanyahu is leaning against a partial deal. "He now understands a partial deal isn't wise," one senior source said. "After 60 days of ceasefire, it would be very difficult to restart fighting, and the Americans won't support that." Israel has laid out five core principles for ending the war: dismantling Hamas's military capabilities, return of all hostages (living and dead), full demilitarization of Gaza, Israeli security control over the territory, and the establishment of a non-Hamas, non-Palestinian Authority civilian administration. (Ynet News) The IDF on Wednesday announced plans to call up 60,000 reservists over the next two weeks for a large-scale assault on Gaza City. Reservists, who have already put their civilian lives on hold multiple times since Oct. 7, are being asked to do so again. When the orders are issued, the reservists report for duty. They may complain, but when the call comes, they lace up their boots. The frustration is real, but so is the commitment. Israelis argue, protest, and grumble - and then, for the most part, show up. Among regular soldiers, the 18- and 19-year-olds who make up the backbone of the IDF, motivation is surging. 3/4 of eligible young men volunteer for combat units. Among women, more than half express a desire to serve in fighting units, a record high. While much of the West struggles to fill its military ranks, in Israel - now in its longest war since 1948 - young people are stepping forward in the greatest numbers in decades, with a willingness that speaks to a national spirit that remains strong. Israel in August 2025 is a country weary, yet determined; convinced the war against Hamas is existential; fatigued, but far from broken. Both those called back and those just called up know they are fighting a war barbarically thrust upon the country - one that Israel cannot afford to lose. (Jerusalem Post) In Gaza, aid has long been diverted to Hamas. UNRWA warehouses have doubled as weapons depots. Internationally supplied materials sent through NGOs have been stolen to build terror tunnels and thousands of rockets - every one a war crime. Food and fuel meant for civilians have been seized by terrorists. If Israel failed to vet humanitarian access, that would be the worst kind of negligence. Any responsible government confronting a heinous terror army must balance urgent humanitarian needs with the imperative to block supplies from fueling mass murder, sexual violence, torture, and hostage-taking. Many international NGOs in Gaza and the West Bank emphasize political advocacy over relief. Some of the world's most "respected" aid organizations - Amnesty International, Oxfam, World Vision, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) - have partnered with or defended groups linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a designated terror organization. World Vision's Gaza manager was convicted of diverting tens of millions of dollars in aid to Hamas. Israel has recently revised the humanitarian visa and NGO registration process to require staff name disclosure. For years, NGOs submitted employee lists to Hamas authorities. They accepted this as the cost of operating in Gaza. Now they accuse Israel of authoritarian and arbitrary policies for asking them to provide the same information. Pretending aid flows can be protected from Hamas without strict oversight is a dangerous fantasy. Israel's updated NGO visa requirements, after years of NGO and UN oversight failure, is a necessary step to ensure that humanitarian actors are accountable, transparent, and subject to basic anti-terror safeguards. The writer is founder and president of NGO Monitor. (Jerusalem Post) In the coming days, as a prelude to the IDF's ground incursion into Gaza City, some one million people will be required to evacuate the city and move south beyond the Netzarim Corridor. The IDF Southern Command's Population Relocation Unit is responsible for mapping the population, gathering intelligence on it, and coordinating actions to facilitate its movement. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) has been working in recent days to support the humanitarian infrastructure designed to absorb the hundreds of thousands of new evacuees from Gaza. "You cannot relocate people without ensuring that the humanitarian infrastructure - food, water, medical care, sanitation - meets the requirements of international law," a knowledgeable source said. (Israel Hayom) Hizbullah The IDF's Hamamis outpost in southern Lebanon, 4 km. (2.5 miles) from the Israeli border, is invisible from Israeli border communities, yet designed to monitor and protect them. The area is now patrolled by IDF infantry and air defense units. The military no longer views the border fence as a buffer against Hizbullah's potential resurgence. Instead, they wage a relentless campaign to wear down the terrorist group as it attempts to rebuild. Hizbullah's efforts to reestablish observation posts along the border have been thwarted, with the IDF neutralizing those involved in installing cameras or restoring sites. Hundreds of local raids by IDF units have crossed the border fence since the withdrawal, enforcing the ceasefire. Shepherds' flocks, once common near the border, have vanished, with anyone approaching suspected of being a terrorist and turned away. (Ynet News) International Criminal Court While U.S. sanctions on four more International Criminal Court officials, announced Wednesday, will be viewed as a defense of Israel, this is a matter of American self-defense. One sanctioned judge, Canada's Kimberly Prost, authorized an ICC investigation into the U.S. war in Afghanistan - even though the U.S. isn't an ICC member state and the court has no jurisdiction. In May 2024 the ICC threatened Members of Congress who push back on the court's lawlessness. Their crime? Obstruction of justice under the court's founding Rome Statute, which the U.S. has wisely never ratified. Long considered a failure, the ICC is now a danger. (Wall Street Journal) Recognition of a Palestinian State France, Britain, and Canada intend to imminently recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly next month. More and more countries are embracing the idea of a Palestinian state and doing so without requiring the accountability and transparency envisioned by the international community some three decades ago, when the Oslo Accords process began. That promises to be a massive problem because under current conditions, a Palestinian state would end up being a political and strategic threat to the region. In its most recent poll, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 81% wanted PA President Mahmoud Abbas to resign, while 43% supported Hamas, despite the widespread misery inflicted by the Islamist group on Gaza's population. That means a future Palestinian government could very well turn out to be radical and Islamist. Under customary international law, states have an obligation to prevent hostilities that originate inside their borders from harming neighboring nations. That's a tall order for a future Palestinian government because the PA has for years rewarded terrorism against Israel, and Hamas remains steadfastly committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. International law would allow the aggrieved country to retaliate with economic, political or even military measures, as Israel undoubtedly would. If these Western leaders were serious about helping the Palestinians, they would recognize that the creation of a Palestinian state now would be akin to a disaster foretold. The writer is senior vice president of the American Foreign Policy Council. (Washington Times) Iran What has befallen Iran is no small matter; its military losses and nuclear facilities are immense, facilities that cost billions of dollars and much blood and sweat to build. To its ballistic and nuclear losses, we can add the loss of the popular current it had cultivated across the region, from Iraq to Morocco. The collapse of Iranian influence is clear within Arab regions. When the Lebanese government took its bold decision to confiscate Hizbullah's weapons, the response in the street was limited. In the wake of Iran's defeat, a sense of shock and betrayal spread across the region, which had been waiting for the liberation of Palestine. Iran once enjoyed dominance and popular support in the region. It managed to raise generations of Arabs on its ideas. Tehran opened its doors and arms to extremist Sunnis, including leaders of al-Qaeda, and supported most Sunni opposition groups against their governments. It built a deeply coordinated relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood. It climbed onto many Arab media outlets to promote Khamenei's line. Tehran was managing elite and grassroots movements in dozens of Arab cities. But in the recent wars, following the Oct. 2023 attacks, the kind of mobilization we were used to in every confrontation faded. One reason is that people do not admire the defeated. The second is that the apparatuses that used to orchestrate these movements have lost their connections and their resources. The Arab street venerates the victorious hero until he falls, then replaces him with another hero. The remaining challenge for Iran is to hold on to its supporters within its Shiite popular base. With time, the Shias of Lebanon will come to realize the truth: that they are victims of Hizbullah and Iran, that it is a burden on them rather than a support. For four decades they have borne the confrontation with Israel and the consequences of ties with Iran: economic and personal sanctions, and the destruction of their neighborhoods. The writer is chairman of Al Arabiya's editorial board. (Al Arabiya) Israel and the West For almost two years, the democratic West has been increasingly amplifying jihadi propaganda. Hamas says that Israel is killing only women and children? Then that must be the truth. It is really quite bizarre. Look at the Israelophobic stance of the international community more closely and you'll find that it is inevitably based on propaganda, which either originates in radical "resistance" sympathizers, organs funded by Arab money, or with Hamas itself. Huge numbers of people just don't see why supporting Israel in its war against Islamist terror is the only ethical position to hold. It is a sobering reminder of the malleability of the human mind - supporting those who will behead us. (Jewish Chronicle-UK) Israeli Construction Activity Israel recently approved the construction of housing units in the strategic E1 corridor. The E1 corridor, connecting Jerusalem to the city of Maale Adumim, is a vital buffer against the encirclement of Israel's capital by a hostile Palestinian entity stretching from Ramallah to Bethlehem. Without it, Jerusalem risks becoming isolated and vulnerable, as it was between 1948 and 1967. E1 is a shield for Jerusalem and a message to Israel's enemies: this nation will not be divided or surrounded again. The Palestinian leadership has never renounced its jihadist vision. It never condemned the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. It continues its "pay-for-slay" policy that rewards terrorism. And now it proudly declares that thanks to Oct. 7, it is winning the war of opinion. Israel cannot trade its survival for international applause. The writer, a fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, served as vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the Italian Chamber of Deputies. (JNS) See also Protecting the Contiguity of Israel: The E-1 Area and the Link between Jerusalem and Maale Adumim - Nadav Shragai (Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs-24 May 2009) Antisemitism Is it antisemitic to criticize Israel? Of course not. Is it antisemitic to rage day in, day out against Israel? To think of little else? To let this tiny state occupy your every waking thought? To call it uniquely barbarous, demonic, a nation that lusts after blood like no other? To dream of its destruction? To traipse through the streets every week hollering for its obliteration? To devote yourself so singularly to this one nation's erasure that you come to define your entire political personality by that goal and proudly declare yourself an "anti-Zionist"? Yes, that is antisemitic. If you maniacally obsess over the Jewish homeland, and detest Jewish nationalism more than any other nationalism, and gleefully chant for the death of the Jewish nation's soldiers, and fantasize about the violent excision of the Jewish State "from the river to the sea," then you have a problem with Jews. We are not talking about criticism of Israel. We are talking blind hatred for Israel. Hysteria about Israel. The fantasy of Israel's death. The wild and demented conviction that Israel is the most murderous state in existence, if not the most murderous state ever, and that it wields staggering power over the obsequious nations of the West. That's a species of madness. Show me one other anti-war movement that called not only for an end to war but for the end of an entire nation. Name one other nation that finds its entire right to nationhood ceaselessly called into question, like it's normal to pine publicly for the erasure of a nation of nine million souls. If you have sworn yourself solely to the upending and elimination of the project of Jewish nationhood, then you can't be too surprised if someone calls you a Jew-hater. (Spiked-UK) Observations: They Became Symbols for Gazan Starvation. But All 12 Suffer from Other Health Problems - Olivia Reingold and Tanya Lukyanova (Free Press)
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